38 Studios Explains 'Reckoning' Online Pass, Bug Filled Demo

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning developer 38 Studios has gone on the defense regarding reports that the game will contain an online pass of sorts.

According to a report over on Joystiq the online pass contained within copies of the game is actually DLC that is exclusive to new copies of the title. The DLC is the "House of Valor" questline and, according to the studio, was always intended to be the game's first bit of downloadable content.

“Instead of holding onto it and charging for it later, we opted to give it to everyone who purchases the game new, for free, on launch day,” read the statement.

The fact that the developer and publisher, EA, are calling the DLC an "online pass" is a new way to pass out content.

Also in the news was 38 Studios co-founder Curt Schilling, who recently took to NeoGAF to apologize for the Kingdoms of Amalur demo being so buggy.

“Let me start by apologizing, he said. “The demo? Ya, it is way way wayyyyy more buggy than anything ANYONE should ever release, much less a demo.

“A demo is supposed to be a demonstration of the game. In some ways, for you without buggy demos, it sort of is, but it’s just impossible to convey the depth of breadth of a game that has anywhere from 40-50 hours (main quest line play) to 2-300 hours (for completionist) in it at launch.

“That was exactly why we argued EA in favor of not having the demo. It’s also exactly why I was wrong, and EA was right. Yes there are people that were on the fence who now will not buy it, there were people who weren’t buying it anyway, who still aren’t, but the massive awareness and the insane amount of ‘had no idea about this game, now it’s a day one buy” and “was on the fence but am now sold” posts mean EA hit this one perfectly in intent.”

Schilling made note that the demo was from an old build of the game and certainly did not represent the final product.

“I am sure they made the best demo they could but as a studio packed to the gills with gamers, we refuse to believe code has to be unplayably buggy at launch, it doesn’t,” he said. “So to those that have had a horrid demo experience, I’m sorry, it’s on us, our name is the name on the box we care about.

“That is not going to change your demo experience, that is likely not going to make you buy it if you decided against it, but you spent your time (which is every bit as valuable to us as your money) playing something we made, and we owe you that much. It’s why, even though it’s painful, reading the good with the bad is essential. If you don’t listen to players you stop making games players want to play, and that sucks.”

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is out early February for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.
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